Behind the riots:
Findings of a survey into children’s and adults’
views of the 2011 English riots
Introduction
In August 2011, for five days cities and towns across England were mired in the worst public
disturbances seen in this country since the 1980s. What started with a police shooting and a
peaceful protest in North London, spread across the city, and other mainly urban areas, and
ended up involving around 14,000 rioters1. The disturbances took place against a back drop of
international economic instability, rising unemployment, cuts to local authority services and
reductions in financial welfare support.
Prominent public discourse has defined the riots as a ‘youth issue’. While young people
should not be seen as solely to blame for the disturbances, Ministry of Justice data on those
brought before the courts for offences relating to the riots, revealed that a quarter (26%)
were aged between 10 and 17 years old with nearly half (48%) aged between 18 and 24.
The Children’s Society believes it is important for children themselves to have a chance to
share their views on the events. We are a leading national charity that supports nearly 50,000
children and young people every year through specialist services. Giving a voice to children
and young people to influence policy and public debate is at the heart of our mission. So we
conducted a survey with a nationally representative sample of 13 to 17 year olds, as we
believe it is vital that children and young people have their voices heard in this important
debate. Their views are also compared with a representative sample of adults providing the
first statistically robust cross-generational report on public perceptions of the causes and
possible consequences of the riots.
1
Estimate from The Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2011) 5 Days in August: An interim report on the 2011 English riots
Summary of key findings:
•
Overall most adults and children believed the main reason that children and
young people became involved in the riots was to get goods and possessions they
could not afford to buy.
•
Both adults and children stated several reasons why children and young people
became involved in the riots.
•
The majority of both adults and children (51% and 56% respectively) believed
that the government should be doing more to support young people since the
riots.
•
The majority of adults and children felt that adults will look at children and young
people more negatively because of the recent riots.
•
One in seven children and young people thought they had fewer prospects for
their immediate future following the riots
•
17 year olds were most likely to cite government cuts as a reason for the riots,
and also were most likely to say more government support was needed following
the riots (67%).
Methodology
The Children’s Society commissioned an online survey of a representative sample of children
aged 13-17 and adults aged 18+ from across the UK, to understand their views of the riots
that took place in England in August 2011. In total, 1004 adults and 1077 13-17 year olds
were surveyed between 3 October and 10 November 2011.
The questions were devised following a consultation with children where they were asked to
give their reasons why they thought children had become involved in the riots.2
The survey covered the following areas:
•
•
•
•
2
Perceived reasons why some young people became involved in the riots
Whether the government should be doing more to support children and young people
since the riots
Whether adults will view children and young people more negatively because of the
riots
Whether children and young people felt their immediate future had been affected by
the riots.
A consultation event was held at the Greenbelt youth festival at the end of August 2011 with a group
of children and young people.
Four online focus groups with children3 and a face-to-face group interview with children in
Manchester were also conducted to provide more in-depth discussions with young people
about the causes and consequences of the riots. All the quotes included in the report are from
these consultations.
The report also compares our findings with other recent reports including the Riots
Communities and Victims Panel Interim Report4; the British Youth Council5 (BYC) online
survey of young people who were mainly young community leaders; and the National Centre
for Social Research (NatCen) study6 into the motivations of young people involved in or
affected by the riots.
The Survey Findings
Q1: What do you think were the reasons why some young people became involved
in the recent riots?
Adults and children aged 13-17 were provided with a list of possible responses. Table 1 lists
the reasons provided and the percentage of adults and children that chose each reason. They
were able to choose more than one reason.
Table 1: Reasons for becoming involved in the riots:
3
The four separate online focus groups were carried out with: white young people from a area not affected by the riots; white
young people living in an urban areas that had riots; a mixed black and minority ethnic (BME) and white group from an urban
and suburban area that did not have riots; and young people from BME backgrounds that lived in an area that did not experience
rioting.
4
The Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2011) 5 Days in August: An interim report on the 2011 English riots
5
British Youth Council (2011) Our Streets: The views of young people and young leaders on the riots in England in August 2011
6
National Centre for Social Research (2011) The August Riots in England: Understanding the involvement of young people
Overall, the views of the adults and children surveyed were strikingly similar. The main
difference in adults’ and children’s views was that whilst 63% of adults agreed that people got
involved in the riots ‘just for fun’, only 49% of children agreed this was the case. A greater
proportion (71%) of younger adults, in the 18 – 24 age group, agreed with this reason7.
Most adults and children agreed on four key reasons why some young people became
involved in the riots:
•
•
•
•
To get goods and possessions they couldn’t afford to buy
Just for fun
They felt pressure to join in from others taking part
Boredom, as not enough things for young people to do.
Few adults and children said that ‘to get their voices heard’ or ‘as reaction to Government
cuts’ were important reasons.
The most prevalent answer given by both adults and children was that some young people
became involved in the riots to get goods and possessions they could not afford to buy. This is
similar to the findings of the Reading the Riots8 study that interviewed 270 of those who took
part in the riots. The study found that many rioters saw the breakdown of order as an
opportunity to acquire goods and luxury items they could not afford in normal circumstances.
This reason was also commonly raised in the focus groups we conducted. One young person
from an area that experienced riots stated:
“People just wanted things for free, it was an opportunity”.
Responses from the focus groups suggested that not being able to afford these possessions
was key, raising issues of poverty and youth unemployment. One young person said:
“If you had trouble feeding your family, you would also consider stealing and taking
advantage of the moment”
This also links to the conclusions of the interim report by the Riots Communities and Victims
Panel9 that found some rioters felt they had no hope for the future and therefore nothing to
lose.
While government cuts were not commonly stated as a reason for the riots, the survey found
that many 17 year olds did think rioters were reacting to government cuts, with more than
quarter (29%) citing that reason. This antipathy towards government cuts and the need to
have children and young people’s opinions valued was also raised in the focus groups, with
one young person stating: “Young people aren’t being prioritised...the government needs to
listen.”
7
Where findings of the research are compared by sub-group within the commentary, results are statistically significant at the
95% level of confidence.
8
London School of Economics, The Guardian, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Open Society (2011) Reading the Riots
9
The Riots Communities and Victims Panel (2011) 5 Days in August: An interim report on the 2011 English riots
Q2: What do you think was the main reason why some young people became
involved in the recent riots?
Table 2: The main reason why young people became involved in the riots
Base: UK Adults: 1004: UK 13-17 year olds: 1077
Respondents were also asked to choose one main reason why some children and young
people became involved in the riots. In both groups, just over a third said the main reason
was to get goods and possessions they could not afford to buy.
Just under one in five (19%) of children in our survey said the main reason was just for fun
with slightly more adults – just under a quarter (23%) – identifying it as the main reason.
Nearly one in five of both children and adults said pressure to join in from others taking part
was the main reason. Very few identified either reacting to government cuts or to get noticed
as the main reason.
Q3: Should the government be doing more to support young people since the riots?
Table 3: Government Support
Base: UK Adults: 1004: UK 13-17 year olds: 1077
Respondents were asked whether they felt the government should be doing more to support
young people since the riots. As shown in Table 3, more than half of adults (51%) and
children (56%) said that the government should be providing more support.
Of those who disagreed, it is significant that far more adults (25%) than children (15%) said
the government should not be doing more.
It is also notable that those in the transition to adulthood stage said that more government
support is needed – two thirds (67%) of 17 year olds and six out of ten (60%) of young
adults aged 18-24. This mirrors the response of young people in the focus groups, with many
participants saying that more activities and support are needed to “occupy young people with
something constructive”.
Q4: Do you feel that adults will look at young people more negatively because of the
recent riots?
Table 4: Adults’ perception of young people post riots
Base: UK Adults: 1004: UK 13-17 year olds: 1077
The majority of adults and children felt that adults will look at young people more negatively
because of the riots. Approximately one in five felt that all or most adults will react in this
way, and over two-thirds said at least some will view young people more negatively. Less
than one in ten adults and children said that adults will not view young people more
negatively because of the riots.
In particular, young adults were more likely to say that all or most adults will look at young
people more negatively, with 31% of 17 year olds and 34% of the 18-24 age group agreeing
with this statement. This was also raised as a concern in the focus groups with participants
stating that:
“Young people (are) not getting respected”
“The general public (are) not liking us”.
Q5: How do you think your immediate future has been affected by the recent riots?
Table 5: Affect of riots on young peoples immediate future
Base: UK 13-17 year olds: 1077
In the immediate aftermath of the riots, concerns were raised by children and young people,
and by voluntary sector organisations working with them, that the events would impact
negatively on their future prospects. Most of the children we surveyed (56%) did not feel that
the riots had impacted negatively on their futures. However, one in seven did, showing there
is still a clear perception among young people that the riots have affected them, regardless of
the fact they did not take part.
Conclusion and key messages
There was clear agreement amongst both adults and children that the main reason for young
people taking part was to gain material items that they cannot ordinarily afford to buy. This
correlates strongly with the recent ‘Reading the Riots’ study and the Guardian ICM poll with
adults, which found that poverty was thought to be a key factor in the riots. It indicates that
material well-being cannot be overlooked as a significant issue affecting young people today.
Research published earlier this year by The Children’s Society showed a strong link between a
child’s material deprivation and their overall subjective well-being or life satisfaction10.
Clearly, tackling poverty and material disadvantage is crucial to avoid further unrest among
children and young people.
There was also cross-generational agreement that the government should be providing more
support to young people in the wake of the riots. The issue of youth support is becoming ever
more important in the face of predicted rises in child poverty and record levels of young
people not in education, training or employment. Crucially, the call for support was highest
among 17 year olds, who also most strongly felt that government cuts played a part and that
their immediate future had been affected. It is this group who are facing great uncertainty in
the wake of cuts to youth services, the education maintenance allowance, and who will be
affected by rising youth unemployment levels.
Above all, children and young people feel they will be perceived more negatively by adults. It
is vital that this is addressed as a matter of priority – children and young people often face a
huge challenge in dealing with negative public perceptions. Everyone has a part to play in
addressing this: from government, local authorities and the media through to the voluntary
sector and community organisations. The Children’s Society runs projects that provide
opportunities for children and adults to come together to break down negative perceptions
and suspicions across generational divides. We believe this inter generational work is vital in
challenging negative stereotypes.
Overall, The Children’s Society believes that it is essential for children and young people to be
valued by, and active participants in, their communities and wider society. Our research on
children’s subjective well being demonstrates that by viewing children as active participants
rather than passive recipients of decisions made by adults their life satisfaction and personal
happiness is enhanced. Ultimately, that is why the views expressed in this report need to be
taken seriously by all those working in this area to ensure that the lessons are learned from
the events of August 2011.
10
Missing out: A child-centred analysis of material deprivation and subjective well-being,
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/research/well-being/missing-out